I have arrived

Habari - Hello

Ni siku nzuri sana - what a beautiful day!!

I'm sitting here wondering what I want to share first because there is so much I am feeling and processing. I arrived in Tanzania after a 28 hour flight feeling completely exhausted, yet incredibley revived at the same time. What beauty and warmth I felt the moment I walked into the airport and I truly felt connected to the people, energy and vibe right away. I haven't even seen a fraction of what lies ahead and what Africa has to offer but I'm in love thus far. I am so psyched to be here!!!

I am not exagerating in the least when I say, the people are absolutley gorgeous here. Beautiful!!WOW - inside and out. You really can feel the love here. the depth of spirit. warmth, readiance and grace of the people.

My volunteer placement resides in the city of Bagamoya on the Eastern coast of Tanzania. It is rich with a history all its own. It means 'lay down your heart.' and played a pivotal role in the East African slave and ivory trade and was the central route involving Africans, Arabs, Indians and Europeans. They were brought to Bagamoya and sent off from there.The local chiefs were said to have been the main sources of supplying slaves and security to slave traders. Yes, the Africans were trading their own people. It's very interesting!

I am staying in a secured area with about 12 other volunteers and 10 lovely staff members. I am rooming with 2 other girlies: Naomi from Toronto and Charmain from Ontario. Nice "A" :) The main house is super cozy and surrounded by a vibrant garden with a "tiny" breeze and flowering trees. Love it! AND I am about a 20 minute walk to the beach. Although we have to be careful about which beach to go to as some areas just aren't safe. I found that i can walk around the main village solo, but have to be SUPER careful venturing out. A little tough for me as I love exploring anywhere and everywhere :) I now have eyes in the back of my head and I look really funny ;)

Today we toured around the various villages, markets, beaches and schools. OMG that children are to die for and i wanted to scoop them all up. Just precious - so full of smiles and happiness. I'll write in more detail re: community, people, villages, living conditions later. There is way too much to describe and I am running out of juice. I will try to have my friend Jeff, another volunteer who has much more tech savvy than i, teach me how to upload photos because I really want to share what everything looks like here. It's incredible and magical.

Tomorrow I will check out my placement. Because Bagamoyo is a fishing and agricultural city, I am placed near or at a Seaweed Farm about 1/2 hour away. Yes, I did say seaweed farm :) I am not exactly clear on what I'll be doing although I do know that my placement is Working Towards Womens Empowerment. I will also be teaching English along the way. AND i only know a few words in Swahili, although I am catching on fast. I love speaking the language and find that i am picking it up rather fast. I'll fill you in more on my placement once I have been there for a few days. Super excited, a tiny bit nervous.

I feel very happy

Kwaheri - bye bye for now
Heidi